2016-08-29 16:23:00

Lahore Archdiocese blessed with 5 new priests ‎- a record


The Archdiocese of Lahore in Pakistan was blessed last week with a windfall of five new priests.   Archbishop Sebastian Shah of Lahore celebrated the ordination Mass on Friday in the presence of hundreds of faithful and the relatives of the new priests in Lahore’s Sacred Heart Cathedral.  According to the archbishop, the group is the largest since 1994.  "So far we had only had one or two priests (a year). Five priests are really a record," he told AsiaNews.  This year, a total of 21 priestly ordinations took place in Pakistan.  There will be three in October in Karachi Archdiocese. 

Fr Joseph Louis, a former executive secretary of Caritas Lahore, believes that the rise of terrorism since the attacks on 11 September 2001 in the United States has "increased local vocations."  "People are getting closer to faith. They feel that they must do something because the rulers do not give hope. People attend church more because there is a great thirst for comfort and spiritual knowledge."

In his homily at Mass, Archbishop Shah spoke to the newly ordained about the challenges that await them.  "First, you have to think about whether the priesthood was the right choice. Be careful about the obsession of money because there is no remedy to it,” he warned.  “Do not affiliate yourself to one person, family, parish, project or institution. The only authority of priesthood is service to others, and being humble is the first standard," he said.

One of the five new priests, Fr. Imtiaz Nishan, a native of the village of Easson, in Sheikhupura District (near Lahore), taught philosophy at the Major Seminary of Saint Francis Xavier in Lahore for six months.  “Our Christian community is behind in education and thus does not get enough opportunities,” he said about the tasks ahead of him. “I plan to help school dropouts and serve in poor Christian slums.”

“Also many Catholics are distracted by pastors of mushroom churches. People need spiritual strength against increasing materialism”, he added.  (Source:AsiaNews)








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